20 April 2014

A Couple Treats from Shea Terra Organics

If you've done much browsing in the natural cosmetics world, you've probably run across Shea Terra Organics. The company, which has been around for more than ten years, has a huge selection of products and incorporates exotic African ingredients - some that you've heard of, some that you probably haven't - into their extensive line of skincare, body care, and hair care. I was sent a couple things to try out and while these may be the first, I'm pretty confident they won't be the last Shea Terra products to grace my vanity!

Argan Oil & Acacia Honey Facial WashCleansing with honey has gotten super popular of late, and for good reason. Honey is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and also moisturizing, healing, and full of beneficial minerals, nutrients and enzymes. That's all great, but if you aren't quite ready to swap out your face wash for your toast spread, this cleanser provides the perfect middle ground. Shea Terra's wash combines honey and a gentle castile soap. And it's not just any honey - we're talking raw, Kenyan honey, harvested from wild acacia trees that grow far from most human pollutants. The cleanser looks very much like a gel/honey hybrid and feels like a much less sticky honey that spreads easily on a damp face. It doesn't foam at all and is super gentle, but it's still an incredibly effective cleanser. The first time I tried it, I hadn't done a face mask in about a week and the pores on my nose were starting to look a little congested. This little bottle whipped that business back into shape within the first two washes. In fact, my only complaint - if you can even call it that - is that since I've incorporated this cleanser into my routine, I can't tell if my masks are working as well, since my pores already look so squeaky clean! Like straight up honey, the Argan Oil & Acacia Honey Facial Wash won't do much towards removing makeup, but it's great as either a morning cleanser or as a second cleanse after something more up to the task. You can wash it off right away, or leave it on for 5-10 minutes as a mask. I definitely predict this being a repurchase for me!

Ingredients: Deionized water, organic sunflower oil (helianthus annuus), wild African acacia honey, organic argan oil (argania spinosa), organic extra virgin olive oil (olea europaea), organic coconut cream oil (cocos nucifera), potassium hydroxide, Kalahari mineral salts.Argan & Green Coffee Around Eye SerumThis eye serum is one of Wheaten Beauty's favorites and I've wanted to try it ever since I first heard her talk about it. Argan oil is rich in squalene, vitamins, and essential fatty acids, while green coffee seed oil contains antioxidants and stimulates blood circulation. The combination of the two promises to "fight back against wrinkles, sagging, and discoloration and win back brighter, more youthful looking eyes." I'm not sure I'm the target user here, since, at 26, I don't really have wrinkles or visible aging around the eyes, but I do get dark circles and some puffiness. The serum hasn't done anything special for my dark circles, unfortunately, but I've noticed less puffiness, and it was a dream during this extra-cold winter. I tried a few different balms and creams along the way, but nothing kept my eye area as well hydrated as this serum. The green coffee seed oil also lends a kind of earthy, grassy scent that's vaguely identifiable as coffee but pretty different from the roasted beans most of us are used to, so keep that in mind if you're hoping for this to smell like your morning cup o' joe. Ingredients: organic argan oil (argania spinosa), organic shea butter (vitellaria nilotica), organic rose hips seed oil (rosa rubiginosa), green coffee seed oil (coffee Arabica)The Bottom LineOne knock-it-out-of-the-park hit and another, slightly more reserved one. Both great finds, and now that I've dipped my toe into this wonderful world of Shea Terra, I just want to buy up everything on their site! Seriously though, how dreamy do this Moroccan Mud Spa Wash and these Shea Butter Quenching Hair & Body Oils sound? I've got quite the wishlist going here...Have you tried Shea Terra Organics? What are your favorites?[P.S. In case you're all set to order now, this is one company where you want to check their social media first. From what I've seen, there's almost always a 30% off code floating around on Facebook or Twitter.]

Disclosure: Products provided for review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review in return for free product, nor was I compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.